3.5 stars!

A nice fast paced thriller novella. I actually figured out the twist to this one, but it still kept me on my toes the whole time. Since I listen pretty quickly I listened to this while doing some chores.

This was a full cast audio which was a great listening experience complete with sound effects. There were puzzle pieces scattered all throughout this and then in the end when everything came together the puzzle was complete.

Thankful to be able to listen early through netgalley!

4.5⭐️ I was hesitant going in as the last audio novella I read from Lucinda Berry didn’t jive well with me but I have nothing to fear as this was wonderful. It immediately captured my interest and I easily tuned out the rest of the world and sunk into the twist world Ms Berry crafted.

It’s described as a “dynamic listening experience” with its full cast, sound effects, and other production effects making it an immersive experience.

This cast did a great job! It’s comprised of Danielle Savre, Alicia Chrowder, Dan Bittner, Matt Godfried, and Janina Edwards. Along with their pleasurable speaking rate which mirrors a typical conversational tone it is enhanced with audio techniques to make it sound like voicemails, texts, phone calls and other situations. All together it really drew you in to the story.

The plot itself was engaging. Ms Berry uses her background in psychology to its fullest as the FMC is a therapist and details the process perfectly. I love the different aspect that she brings up in all her books like the fact that it’s common for people who have go through trials in their life and have been helped by the mental health system then go back and become a provider themselves, just like our FMC, Jenna, does. She really interweaves the issue at hand of Jenna’s client in with her own issues as well as the connection to her family. Throughout the book you don’t know who is telling the truth or if Jenna can even be a reliable narrator.

The audiobook exclusive is 3 hours and 40 minutes long making it a quick experience to finish, especially if you speed it up. It’s the perfect read for thriller season when it comes out October 21st 2025

I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary audio ALC from Simon & Schuster Audio through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My general rating system is below. Since I primarily read ARC books I rate according to how I think like minded readers will receive the book. I will round up or down depending on many factors and try not to let my personal wants affect a books ratings.

⭐️ Hated It but pushed through as I don’t DNF ARCs I have received.
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, content issues, poorly edited.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but it had something that stopped me from rounding up. Usually the book may have much more potential than what was given. I recommend it but with reservations.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I Really enjoyed it or think others will. These are solid reads that I definitely would recommend for a variety of reasons.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! These are books that remain rent free in my head for well after unfinished the book. It can be for a variety of reasons from being very well written or just the vibes that captured my mind. These books are also ones I would probably read again

3.5⭐️ A short and fast paced thriller! The audio production was fantastic! With multiple narrators, and sound effects, it was a very immersive experience. While this was not her best book, it was very solid and entertaining!

Thank you Simon and Schuster Audio and NetGalley for the audio ARC

🎧 AUDIOBOOK REVIEW 🎧

4 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

This Is a Safe Space is a gripping and emotional listen. Lucinda Berry does a great job diving into complex psychological themes and creating characters that feel raw and real. The audiobook narration was well done and added to the intensity of the story—I found myself hooked from the beginning. Some parts were tough to listen to emotionally, but that’s what made it powerful. A compelling psychological drama that kept me thinking long after it ended.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — I listened in half a day. I couldn’t stop.

This is exactly why I love Lucinda Berry.

The premise pulled me in immediately—a therapist with trust issues of her own, a patient who’s gone silent, and a threat that hits too close to home. But it was the way the story unfolded that made this such a standout. Listening on audio made the tension even more intense—I kept telling myself “just one more chapter” and then suddenly, it was over.

Emotional, uncomfortable in all the right ways, and full of sharp twists. I loved how layered Jenna was, and the way the plot kept circling back on itself until the full picture snapped into focus. I highly recommend the audiobook if you're into fast, bingeable thrillers with real emotional weight.

I really like Lucinda Berry thrillers, and I feel like her background in psychology always comes through in her stories. (Note: this doesn’t mean I’ll ever agree with my friend about Saving Noah.)

This really worked for me. It’s novella-length, but with the speed I listen to audiobooks, I knocked it out over a long lunch. I’m usually wary of full-cast productions, but it was the perfect fit here. Since the story is told in a mixed media format, including internal monologues, session transcripts, and text messages, having each component voiced separately really suited the structure.

The central characters include therapist Jenna, her sister Phoenix, her husband Colten, Bodie (Phoenix's husband and Colten’s cousin), and patient Kaitlyn. You spend most of the story trying to figure out who’s lying and who’s telling the truth, and Berry threads that needle really well in this version of he said/she said.

The narrators were all fine. I know, glowing praise, but they did the job without pulling me out of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Audio for the ALC. This Is a Safe Space comes out October 21, 2025.